Plunking the PiratesPlunking the Pirates

Plunking the Pirates

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GREENVILLE, N.C. (UCFKnights.com) – For the first time in program history, UCF came away victorious at East Carolina. The Knights earned a 54-42 win over the Pirates in American Athletic Conference action in Williams Arena at Minges Coliseum on Wednesday evening.
 
"Every game for us in a new experience," head coach Katie Abrahamson-Henderson told the American Digital Network after the game. "This is a good team and everybody fought hard. I'm just proud that we came out with a W."
 
The Knights held the edge on the boards, 49-37 and outscored the Pirates 10-3 in second chance points. The Black and Gold scored 19 points off 21 Pirate turnovers.
 
UCF (12-6, 2-3 The American) fell behind early in the fourth quarter, but outscored ECU 18-2 in the final seven minutes to earn its second straight road win.
 
Junior Aliyah Gregory led the Knights with 17 points and four assists. Junior Fifi Ndour posted her second double-double of the season with 10 points and 10 rebounds. Seven of sophomore Tolulope Omokore's eight rebounds came on the offensive glass, and redshirt senior Joslyn Massey grabbed nine boards in the game. Freshman Korneila Wright swiped a game-high four steals.
 
Historic Win
• Entering Wednesday's game, UCF had played the Pirates in Greenville nine times. East Carolina had come away victorious at home each time.
• The Knights scored first on a layup from Aliyah Gregory and kept their foot on the pedal. UCF held the 12-8 advantage after one quarter and 23-18 at halftime.
• The Black and Gold led at each break but the Pirates began to chip away in the third quarter. ECU took a 37-36 lead early in the fourth quarter and saw as much as a four-point advantage, 40-36, before UCF went to work.
• UCF held ECU to just two points in the final seven minutes of the game, closing with an 18-2 run to earn its first road win over the Pirates.
 
Road Warriors
• UCF earned its sixth road win of the season, which marks the most wins away from home since the 2010-11 season.
• Limiting ECU to just 42 points, UCF has held six of its eight road opponents under 60 points. Buffalo (66) and Cincinnati (63) were the only two that reached the 60-point mark.
• Seven Knights scored at least three points in Wednesday's win, while eight collected a rebound.
 
Next up, UCF returns to CFE Arena to host Tulsa at 1 p.m. on Saturday. The Knights are home for back-to-back games as they welcome Cincinnati on Jan. 24. The Black and Gold host the Bearcats at 7 p.m. on the American Digital Network.
 
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Don't miss any of the action during Coach Abe's first season with the Knights. Season tickets are on sale now and can be purchased here. Adult season tickets are available for $30, and youth tickets (ages 2-17 years) are available for $15.